Unfold

Unfold Skill

Overview

The Unfold skill provides a systematic methodology for breaking down complex development plans into manageable, high-fidelity stage-based documents. This process creates detailed handoff documents with step-by-step instructions and code examples, enabling clear execution tracking and team coordination.

Core Concepts

Stage-Based Tiling

Plans are divided into sequential phases, starting with Phase 0 (overview) and progressing through numbered phases (Phase 1, Phase 2, etc.). Each phase can be further divided into substages for granular execution.

Character Limits

All documents are constrained to less than 45,000 characters to ensure:

• Focused, digestible content
• Clear scope boundaries
• Efficient context management
• Practical handoff documents

Document Hierarchy

Phase0.md (Overview of all phases)
├── Phase1.md (Detailed first phase)
│   ├── Substage1.1.md
│   ├── Substage1.2.md
│   └── Substage1.3.md
├── Phase2.md (Detailed second phase)
│   ├── Substage2.1.md
│   ├── Substage2.2.md
│   └── Substage2.3.md
└── Phase3.md (Detailed third phase)
    └── ...

Tool 1: Unfold_Plan

Purpose

Transform a high-level development plan into a series of Phase documents, each containing detailed step-by-step instructions and code examples.

Input

• A development plan (markdown format)
• Can be comprehensive or high-level
• May exceed character limits in original form

Process

1. Analyze the Plan

   • Identify major milestones and logical groupings
   • Determine natural phase boundaries
   • Assess total scope and complexity

2. Create Phase 0 (Overview)

   • Summarize the entire project
   • List all phases with brief descriptions
   • Define dependencies between phases
   • Outline success criteria
   • Include architecture overview
   • Character budget: aim for 15,000-25,000 characters

3. Create Phase Documents

   • Start with Phase 1 (foundation/setup)
   • Each phase focuses on a major milestone
   • Include detailed step-by-step instructions
   • Provide complete code examples
   • Add configuration details
   • Include testing procedures
   • Character budget: aim for 35,000-44,000 characters per phase

4. Ensure Continuity

   • Each phase references prerequisites from previous phases
   • Clear handoff points between phases
   • Consistent terminology and structure

Output Structure

Phase0.md Template:

# Project Name - Phase 0: Overview

## Project Summary
[Brief description of the entire project]

## Architecture Overview
[High-level architecture diagram and explanation]

## Phase Breakdown

### Phase 1: [Phase Name]
**Goal:** [Primary objective]
**Duration:** [Estimated time]
**Dependencies:** None
**Deliverables:**
- [Key deliverable 1]
- [Key deliverable 2]

### Phase 2: [Phase Name]
**Goal:** [Primary objective]
**Duration:** [Estimated time]
**Dependencies:** Phase 1
**Deliverables:**
- [Key deliverable 1]
- [Key deliverable 2]

[Continue for all phases]

## Success Criteria
[How to measure completion]

## Technology Stack
[List of technologies, frameworks, tools]

## Team Structure
[Recommended team composition]

Phase[N].md Template:

# Phase [N]: [Phase Name]

## Phase Overview
**Goal:** [Primary objective]
**Prerequisites:** [What must be completed first]
**Estimated Duration:** [Time estimate]
**Key Deliverables:**
- [Deliverable 1]
- [Deliverable 2]

## Step-by-Step Implementation

### Step 1: [Step Name]
**Purpose:** [Why this step is necessary]
**Duration:** [Estimated time]

#### Instructions
1. [Detailed instruction 1]
2. [Detailed instruction 2]

#### Code Example
```[language]
[Complete, runnable code example]

Configuration

[Configuration files or settings]

Verification

• [Check 1]
• [Check 2]

Step 2: [Step Name]

[Repeat structure]

Testing Procedures

[How to test this phase]

Troubleshooting

[Common issues and solutions]

Next Steps

[How to proceed to the next phase]

### Usage Example

When presented with a plan, Claude should:

```markdown
I'll unfold this plan into phase documents. Let me analyze the structure first.

[Analysis of the plan structure]

I'll create:
- Phase0.md: Project overview with all phases
- Phase1.md: Foundation and basic setup (< 45,000 chars)
- Phase2.md: Core functionality implementation (< 45,000 chars)
- Phase3.md: Advanced features (< 45,000 chars)
[etc.]

Tool 2: Unfold_Phase

Purpose

Take a single Phase document and break it down into Substage documents for even more granular execution tracking.

Input

• A Phase[N].md document
• Typically used when a phase is complex or involves multiple team members

Process

1. Analyze the Phase

   • Identify logical substages within the phase
   • Look for natural breaking points (features, components, layers)
   • Assess dependencies between substages

2. Create Substage Documents

   • Each substage is a focused, executable unit of work
   • Numbered as Substage[N].[M].md
   • Include complete code examples
   • Add detailed implementation notes
   • Character budget: 25,000-40,000 characters per substage

3. Maintain Traceability

   • Reference parent phase
   • Clear prerequisites from previous substages
   • Integration points with other substages

Output Structure

Substage[N].[M].md Template:

# Substage [N].[M]: [Substage Name]

## Substage Overview
**Parent Phase:** Phase [N]: [Phase Name]
**Goal:** [Specific objective]
**Prerequisites:**
- [Prerequisite 1]
- [Prerequisite 2]
**Estimated Duration:** [Time estimate]

## Context
[Why this substage exists and how it fits into the larger phase]

## Detailed Implementation

### Task 1: [Task Name]
**Objective:** [What this task accomplishes]

#### Implementation Steps
1. [Detailed step 1]
   - [Sub-step or clarification]
2. [Detailed step 2]

#### Code Implementation
```[language]
[Complete, production-ready code example]

Explanation

[Line-by-line or section-by-section explanation]

Testing

[Test code]

Task 2: [Task Name]

[Repeat structure]

Integration Points

[How this substage connects with others]

Validation Checklist

• [Validation item 1]
• [Validation item 2]
• [Validation item 3]

Common Issues

[Known problems and solutions]

Next Substage

[Preview of what comes next]

### Usage Example

When asked to unfold a phase:

```markdown
I'll unfold Phase2.md into substages. Let me analyze the phase structure.

[Analysis of Phase2 steps]

I'll create:
- Substage2.1.md: Database schema and models (< 45,000 chars)
- Substage2.2.md: API endpoints implementation (< 45,000 chars)
- Substage2.3.md: Frontend components (< 45,000 chars)
- Substage2.4.md: Integration and testing (< 45,000 chars)

Execution Workflow

Starting a Project

1. Read Phase0.md to understand the entire project
2. Begin with Phase1.md for detailed implementation
3. If Phase1 is complex, unfold it into substages first
4. Create substage documents in /docs/instruct/ directory
5. Track progress by checking off validation items
6. Complete each substage before moving to the next
7. When Phase1 is complete, move to Phase2.md

Directory Structure

/docs/
├── Phase0.md           (Overview)
├── Phase1.md           (Foundation)
├── Phase2.md           (Core features)
├── Phase3.md           (Advanced features)
└── instruct/           (Substage documents for active phase)
    ├── Substage1.1.md
    ├── Substage1.2.md
    ├── Substage1.3.md
    └── progress.md     (Optional tracking document)

Best Practices

When Creating Phase Documents

1. Start with the big picture (Phase0)
2. Use concrete examples in every phase
3. Include complete code snippets, not pseudocode
4. Add verification steps for each major step
5. Keep phases focused on a single major milestone
6. Provide context for why decisions are made
7. Include error handling in code examples
8. Add troubleshooting sections

When Creating Substage Documents

1. Make substages atomic - each should be completable independently
2. Include integration notes for connecting substages
3. Provide exhaustive examples since substages are highly focused
4. Add inline comments in code examples
5. Include test cases specific to the substage
6. Document assumptions explicitly
7. Reference files and line numbers when modifying existing code

Character Management

1. Monitor document length as you write
2. Prioritize essential information
3. Use concise but complete code examples
4. Avoid repetition between documents
5. Reference previous documents instead of repeating content
6. If approaching 45,000 characters, consider splitting into additional phases/substages

Code Examples

1. Always include complete, runnable code
2. Show imports and dependencies
3. Include error handling
4. Add comments explaining non-obvious logic
5. Use realistic variable names
6. Show integration with existing code
7. Include configuration examples

Quality Checklist

For Phase Documents

• Clear phase objective stated
• Prerequisites listed
• Step-by-step instructions included
• Complete code examples provided
• Testing procedures defined
• Troubleshooting section added
• Next steps identified
• Under 45,000 characters

For Substage Documents

• Parent phase referenced
• Focused on single objective
• Detailed implementation steps
• Production-ready code examples
• Integration points documented
• Validation checklist included
• Common issues addressed
• Under 45,000 characters

Advanced Patterns

Parallel Phases

Some phases can be worked on simultaneously if they don't have dependencies:

## Phase Breakdown

### Phase 2A: Backend API (parallel with 2B)
**Dependencies:** Phase 1

### Phase 2B: Frontend Foundation (parallel with 2A)
**Dependencies:** Phase 1

### Phase 3: Integration
**Dependencies:** Phase 2A, Phase 2B

Iterative Refinement

Phases can include iteration loops:

### Phase 3: Core Features (Iterative)
**Iterations:** 3 planned
- Iteration 1: Basic functionality
- Iteration 2: Enhanced features
- Iteration 3: Performance optimization

Optional Phases

Some phases may be optional based on requirements:

### Phase 4 (Optional): Advanced Analytics
**Condition:** If analytics dashboard is required

Examples

Example 1: Web Application

Phase0.md would include:

• Project summary: E-commerce platform
• Phase 1: Setup and infrastructure
• Phase 2: User authentication
• Phase 3: Product catalog
• Phase 4: Shopping cart
• Phase 5: Payment integration
• Phase 6: Deployment

Phase2.md (User Authentication) would include:

• Step 1: Database schema for users
• Step 2: Registration endpoint
• Step 3: Login endpoint
• Step 4: JWT token implementation
• Step 5: Password reset flow
• Step 6: Email verification
• Complete code examples for each

Substage2.2.md (Login Endpoint) would include:

• Task 1: Route definition
• Task 2: Request validation
• Task 3: Database query
• Task 4: Password verification
• Task 5: Token generation
• Task 6: Response formatting
• Detailed code for each task

Example 2: Data Pipeline

Phase0.md overview:

• Phase 1: Infrastructure setup (AWS, databases)
• Phase 2: Data ingestion pipeline
• Phase 3: Data transformation
• Phase 4: Data storage
• Phase 5: Analytics layer
• Phase 6: Monitoring and alerts

Phase3.md (Data Transformation) substages:

• Substage3.1: ETL framework setup
• Substage3.2: Data validation rules
• Substage3.3: Transformation logic
• Substage3.4: Error handling
• Substage3.5: Testing framework

Triggering the Unfold Process

Unfold_Plan Triggers

Claude should initiate Unfold_Plan when:

• User provides a comprehensive development plan
• User says "unfold this plan"
• User says "create phase documents from this"
• User says "break this into phases"
• Plan appears too large or complex for single document

Unfold_Phase Triggers

Claude should initiate Unfold_Phase when:

• User says "unfold Phase[N]"
• User says "create substages for Phase[N]"
• User says "break down Phase[N] into substages"
• A phase is complex with many steps
• User is ready to execute a specific phase

Integration with Development

The Unfold skill works best when:

1. Planning precedes execution - Complete phase documents before coding
2. Iterative refinement - Update documents as requirements change
3. Team coordination - Multiple developers can work on different substages
4. Progress tracking - Check off completed items in validation checklists
5. Knowledge transfer - Documents serve as onboarding material

Conclusion

The Unfold skill provides a structured approach to managing complex development projects. By breaking plans into phases and substages, teams can:

• Maintain clarity throughout the project
• Track progress systematically
• Enable parallel development
• Reduce cognitive load
• Create valuable documentation
• Facilitate knowledge transfer

Always remember: the goal is to create practical, executable documents that guide real development work, not just theoretical plans.